Magic
In Achopz, magic refers to a means of interaction with reality that is unexplainable by unscientific means, and instead of utilizing physics in order to create reactions, relies on supernatural or paranormal phenomena to generate results. Magic is an extension of conscious as well as unconscious will; as such, it can be used by any species of creature, and can be applied to any object, from structures to personal items. Specific applications of magic are commonly referred to as superpowers. Sources The existence of magic in Achopz was created by the Goddesses as a form of energy that allows for interaction between entities. The soul of a living being serves as a spontaneous generator of magical energy that never ceases, even if the body or host object is destroyed. Inanimate objects act as static repositories of magic, storing energy in the same way that batteries can 'hold' electrical energy. Any soul is capable of utilizing magical energy, just as any object is capable of storing it. Pure magic When magical energy is produced from the soul, it is fundamentally pure, meaning that it is unaffiliated with any of the Seven Elements. This sort of energy, called pure or raw magic, is also alternatively known throughout different cultures and disciplines as mana, chakra, chi, and/or ki. Pure magic can be utilized to perform virtually any conceivable function; however, it is also significantly volatile and difficult to access. For this reason, unpracticed usage of pure magic is highly inefficient and impractical. Instead, most magic-users rely on the automatic function of their bodies to convert 'pure', 'unaffiliated' magical energy into that which is 'affiliated' with one of the Seven Elements. The most common process of using magic can be separated into three distinct steps: the production of magical energy, the conversion of the energy to one of the seven elemental affiliations, and the final application of the converted energy with its effects. The Seven Elements :Main article: Elements The vast majority of all magic can be divided into seven "Elemental" categories, which indicate their differing realm of influence. These Seven Elements are: Nature, Water, Fire, Earth, Light, Darkness, and Spirit. Although certain Elements occasionally experience overlap, subtle differences remain to distinguish between them. For example, magic relating to thunder and lightning belong to the Element of Nature, which holds dominance over weather. On the other hand, magic involving the purer aspect of electricity, remains in the Element of Light. Affiliation Magical energy is distinct from its elemental applications in that the energy is fundamentally pure, possessing no physical attributes that link it to any element, and never directly manifests as any particular material or object. However, magical energy can be 'tinted' when channeled through a physical object such as a body or a weapon. 'Tinted' magic then becomes more efficient at causing effects related to a particular element, and less so for other elements. For example, one application of pure magic can be to create a fireball through spontaneous generation, which requires skill and a great deal of reserve energy. It is easier and far more common to rely on the natural ability of an intermediary object, such as the human body, to convert pure magic into magical energy affiliated with the Element of Fire. This new, 'tinted' magical energy allows the production of Fire-related effects, such as the generation of a fireball, to be far more efficient and controllable. Specialization When an object is used not only to channel pure magical energy but to convert it to any elemental affiliation, that object will become more efficient with use, allowing less energy to be wasted in the process of conversion. Therefore, inanimate materials, pure and combined, can also become 'tinted'. Once a particular material has gone through the process of attuning to an Element, it becomes proportionately difficult to 're-attune' it to another Element, and even more so to make it 'pure' again. Certain materials are inherently and naturally 'tinted', and are also particularly resistant to 'tinting' of another Element. For example, silver is fundamentally aligned with the Element of Darkness. Organic bodies, such as those of humans, are particularly adept at conversion and 'tinting', which leads to specialization amongst magic-users, such as supers who become more and more skilled with one or few Elements over time rather than with all of them simultaneously. It is nonetheless possible to "multi-class", which entails equal improvement of affiliation with multiple or even all seven Elements, but comes with the drawback of great inefficiency. Under hypothetically ideal conditions, for example, an 'purely' Earth-Element magic-user will be twice as adept at using his or her magical energy than an identically efficient magic-user with a body equally attuned to both Earth and Nature. This tendency for the act of conversion to become steadily further 'tinted' uni-directionally towards a particular Element functions also on a lower level; for example, within a class of Water-Element specialists, one may find further subdivisions of magic-users proficient at steam-magic, ice-magic, etc. It is rare but entirely possible for souls themselves to become affiliated with a particular Element, which among other results, causes the particularly prominent effect of generating magic specifically attuned to a particular Element, and perhaps even its subdivisions. Automatic functions Souls differ from bodies in that they possess seven basic, passive magical abilities, whereas only three are possible for inanimate, soulless objects. that function automatically, constantly, and naturally. The seven functions are: *''Shavehcaiatir: the ability to retain and store magical energy *Shavehcausttir: the ability to resist and diminish the effects of magical energy from external sources *Shavehextattir: the ability to transfer magical energy to an external source, likened to teaching or inspiring *Shavehmorwuntir: the ability to spontaneously generate magical energy *Shavehshieltir: the ability to harness, use, or apply magical energy *Shavehtreshtir: the ability to absorb magical energy from an external source, likened to learning or being inspired *Shavehvatontir: the ability to sense the presence and proximity of external magical energy Of the seven automatic functions, only ''shavehcaiatir, shavehextattir, and shavehtreshtir are also attributes of objects without souls. However, all physical objects are capable of performing any three of these functions at any time. As bodies lack the capability to perform shavehshieltir, they are incapable of manifesting any physical effect on their own without stimuli provided by a willful soul. Therefore, the presence of manifested magical phenomena as opposed to pure accumulation of magical energy is a clear indication of the presence of living spirits. Repositories and genni Magic is an omnipresent, universal force of nature in the world of Achopz. It is the tendency of magic to condense into 'pools', which leads to the formation of several locations where, naturally or artificially, magical energy is collected and stored for usage. Humans are, by far, hardly the only accessors of these places; in fact, many were not created by humans, and were never intended for human use. Genni :Main article: Genni After being amassed and left to its own devices, magical energy exhibits a process not dissimilar to that of coagulation found in blood-clotting. Enough magical energy, after time, will begin to form into small, pseudo-living beings known as "gen" (singular) or "genni" (plural). The appearance and variety of genni differ only accordingly to the type and amount of magical energy from which they originated. For example, the presence of larger and 'smoother' genni is indicative of a greater accumulation of magical energy that bears qualities of relative 'smoothness'. List of repository locations This is a short (and by no means comprehensive) list of areas in Achopz that are home to large quantities of magic. *Mount Hevash - the pinnacle of magical energy, binding the power of the Seven Shrines to Achopz, and the beacon for one hemisphere of the planet Gloph. *The Seven Shrines - the original seven storehouses of magical energy for the Seven Elements *The Evertower - the beacon for the other hemisphere of Gloph, and also acts as a magical conduit between Mount Hevash and the Everworld *The Uaatae - Primary locations of vast magical energy accumulations, one on each of four planets: **The Crypt of Fire, on the planet Amnor **The Sanctuary of Nature, on the planet Sanis **The Monument of Earth, on the planet Rozran **The Memorial of Water, on the planet Taane Category:Magic